regular maintenance checks for your car

There are some common symptoms that you may find in your vehicle that can point to the need for a driveline repair. The driveline in your car or truck includes all the parts between your transmission and the drive wheels. Damage to any of those parts can render the vehicle undrivable and potentially unsafe. 

Vibrations Under The Vehicle

Many things can cause vibrations under your vehicle, including tire issues, worn U-joints, damage to the driveshaft, or an axle bearing that has gone bad. Diagnosing vibrations often requires you to take the car to a shop for driveline repair and inspection. 

The technician will look over all the parts in the driveline for you and let you know what is causing the problem before making repairs. In some cases, the repair may be simple and inexpensive, so be prepared that driveline problems can also go the other way and be costly to repair. 

Vibration from a bad universal joint is a relatively common repair, but if an axle is damaged, most of the rear differential needs to come apart to make repairs, so the time involved will run up the costs quickly. Ask the repair shop for an estimate in writing to try and hold the price down when making driveline repair, and ask the tech to call you right away if the work is going to surpass the amount on the estimate. 

Grinding Noise

If you hear loud grinding noises under the car when moving, you need to take the car into the repair shop right away. Grinding noise coming from any part of your car should be concerning, but if it is happening when the vehicle is moving, it may indicate a problem that involves driveline repair. 

Grinding can come from the rear differential if you have one or from a wheel or axle bearing that is worn out. The sound needs investigating right away, and it is better if you do not drive the car until it is diagnosed. Towing the vehicle to the repair shop might be the best option if you are not near the shop, although that will add to the repair cost. 

Many of the parts that could create that type of noise can fail catastrophically, leaving you stranded with a broken-down car or truck on the side of the road. Neglected driveline repair can also result in damage to related parts as well as the original parts. 

If you hear something, feel something, or suspect something is wrong in the driveline of your vehicle, it will benefit you to take it into the shop for driveline repair and inspection right away.